English Standard Version
Genesis 20:9
9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done."
Genesis 20:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done!
Context of Genesis 20:9
7Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." 8So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this thing?" 11Abraham said, "I did it because I thought, 'There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'
Read all of Genesis 20Genesis 20:9 word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ לְאַבְרָהָ֗ם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֜וֹ מֶֽה־עָשִׂ֤יתָ לָּ֙נוּ֙ וּמֶֽה־חָטָ֣אתִי לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־הֵבֵ֧אתָ עָלַ֛י וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתִּ֖י חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה מַעֲשִׂים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יֵֽעָשׂ֔וּ עָשִׂ֖יתָ עִמָּדִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, What hast thou doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- unto us? and what have I offendedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- thee, that thou hast broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- on me and on my kingdomמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
- a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- sinחֲטָאָהchăţâ'âh · sinH2401
- deedsמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deedH4639
Cross-references for Genesis 20:9
- Genesis 12:18So Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
- Genesis 26:10Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us."
- Exodus 32:21And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"
- Joshua 7:25And Joshua said, "Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today." And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.
- 1 Samuel 26:18And he said, "Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands?
- Proverbs 28:10Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
- Genesis 38:24About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."
- Genesis 39:9He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"
- Leviticus 20:10"If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
- 2 Samuel 12:5Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
- Romans 2:11For God shows no partiality.
- Hebrews 13:4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
- Genesis 34:7The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing must not be done.
- 2 Samuel 13:12She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing.
Commentaries on Genesis 20:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-18Verses 1-18 - Abraham in Gerar 2. אבימלך .2 'ǎbı̂ymelek Abimelekh, “father of the king.” 7. נביא nābı̂y' “prophet,” he who speaks by God, of God, and to God, who declares to people not merely things future, but also things past and present, that are not obvious to the sense or the reason; related: “flow, go forth.” 13. התעוּ hı̂t‛û is plural in punctuation, agreeing grammatically with אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym ו (w), however, may be regarded as the third…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-13Verses 9-13 See here much to blame, even in the father of the faithful. Mark his distrust of God, his undue care about life, his intent to deceive. He also threw temptation in the way of others, caused affliction to them, exposed himself and Sarah to just rebukes, and yet attempted an excuse. These things are written for our warning, not for us to imitate. Even Abraham hath not whereof to glory. He cannot be justified by his works, but must be indebted…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10Abraham received rebukes from Abimelech and God (compare 12:17–19). Abimelech was upset because Abraham's lie made him guilty of this serious sin (see study note on 20:3–7). Abimelech understood that taking a married woman into his harem (a group of wives and concubines) was wrong.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said ... What hast thou done?--In what a humiliating plight does the patriarch now appear--he, a servant of the true God, rebuked by a heathen prince. Who would not rather be in the place of Abimelech than of the honored but sadly offending patriarch! What a dignified attitude is that of the king--calmly and justly reproving the sin of the patriarch, but respecting his person and heaping coals of fire on his head by…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 20:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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